The Company
Taylor Bojanowski
Dancer
Vania Dodoo-Beals
Dancer
Christian Lavigne
Dancer
Sasha Ludavicius
Education Manager, Dancer
Dancer
Dancer
Dancer
Education Manager, Dancer
Dancer
Taylor is a dancer, choreographer and teacher from Toronto. A graduate of the TMU dance program she has studied with many prominent teachers including Vicki St. Denys, Tanya Evidente, Karen Duplisea, Kenny Pearl, and Louis Louberge-Coté. Taylor also had the privilege of working with a range of choreographers including JamesKudelka, Peggy Baker, David Earle, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbek, William Yong and Kevin O’Day. Taylor is an award winning choreographer and teacher with over 10 years of teaching experience who is always looking forward to working with dedicated and passionate dancers.
Dancer
Vania graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University where she received a BFA with an accompanying Minor in Marketing. Her credits include The National Ballet of Canada, Fall For Dance North, Dance: Made in Canada, Orillia Jazz Festival, Buffy Sainte-Marie, MMVA’s and works by Anne Plamondon, Merce Cunningham, Peggy Baker, Alex Ketley, and Vicki St. Denys. Being a versatile mover Vania has also worked with recording artists and brands such as Jessie Reyez, Majid Jordan and Holt Renfrew. In 2023 Vania was awarded the RBC Emerging Artist with Peggy Baker Dance Projects. She has attended programs all over the world including Medhi Walerski: Orsolina28, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, RUBBERBAND, and b12.
Dancer
Christian is a franco-ontarian dance artist based in Tkaronto. He is a graduate of Performance Dance at TMU. Performances include FFDN (Fiddle Embrace, Anne Plamondon) and the AGO(Changing Steps, Merce Cunningham staged by Dylan Crossman). Christian has worked on both stage and film productions with ProArteDanza, Zata Omm, Echo Chamber, Dusk Dances, and just performed an original work by Rumi Jeraj at Night/Shift presented by Fall For Dance North and Citadel. In 2023, he performed a sold-out run of Dinner is Served directed by Kristen Carcone and TOES for Dance. This year, Chris worked on dance films with William Yong, and ProArteDanza. More recently, Christian toured to Italy to perform a work by Maxine Heppner.
Training Coordinator, Dancer
Sasha was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She studied balletinternationally but discovered her passion for contemporary dancewhile studying in Montreal. Sasha was the recipient of ProArte’sSummer Dance Intensive Program Apprenticeship Award, andapprenticed with the company during their 2015 season. In 2016, shegraduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and has beendancing with ProArteDanza ever since. In addition, she is a freelancedance teacher, fitness trainer and certified yoga instructor, and is theTraining Coordinator and Rehearsal Director for ProArte’s SummerDance Intensive Program.
Dancer
Natasja is a versatile dancer, emerging choreographer, andmultidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Natasja will graduate fromToronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) in 2024 with a BFAin Performance Dance. Currently, she is in the process with AlysaPires for a work to premiere in RISE: Fall Dances at TMU. Recently sheperformed in works by Gisele Ardosa, Christina Diguiseppe and HannaKiel. Natasja’s street-contemporary fusion work, honey, was selectedto be showcased in Fall For Dance North’s Inflorescence program. Shecontinues to develop her creative practices through movement aswell as film and visual arts, and she looks forward to sharing herpassions with the Toronto community and beyond.
Dancer
Andrew began his training at the Sean Boutilier Academy of Dance in Toronto. After graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) Performance Dance program (2011-2015) he has gone on to work with many Canadian choreographers including: Laurence Lemieux, James Kudelka, Angela Bloomberg, William Yong, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbek, Valerie Calam, Marie Josee-Chartier, Apolonia Velasquez, Ofilio Portillo and more. Apart from dance, Andrew also works on other aspectsof theatre and concerts working as Lighting Designer, Technician, Operator and High Rigger. Andrew is grateful to be able to work in as many aspects of live entertainment as possible and excited to be working with ProArte for the 2023 season.
Dancer
Connor is a proud graduate of TMU’s Performance Dance Program and a two time Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominee for Outstanding Performance, Ensemble. Originally from Ottawa, Connor has had the privilege of performing in multiple works and touring with a number of diverse companies including Red Sky Performance, ProArteDanza, Citadel & Compagnie, and Human Body Expressions. Recognized by Now Magazine as one of Toronto’s breakthrough stage artists early in his career, Connor has performed works by James Kudelka, Guillame Cote, Jerra Wolf, Thomas Fonua, William Yong, Hanna Kiel, Kate Hilliard, Heidi Strauss, Robert Glumbek, Roberto Campanella, ZataOmm Dance Projects, Avinoam Silverman and Allan Kaeja.
Dancer
Petra is a dancer from Oakville, Ontario. She began training competitively in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop at the age of 8.It wasn’t until 2016 when she participated in ProArte’s Summer Intensive Program (SIP), that she found her passion for contemporary dance. She grew a strong appreciation and curiosity for the vulnerability, risk taking and athleticism that ProArteDanza demanded of their dancers. She continued to train at SIP for 3 more summers. While dancing and performing, Petra is completing her undergraduate degree in Bio-Medical Science at The University of Guelph. Her knowledge in biomechanics and kinesthetics inspires much of her movement dynamic. Most recently, Petra performed at Danzart Festival in Sicily, Italy, under the direction of Ermanno Sbezzo and Giovanni Insaudo.
Dancer
Eleanor is a Tkaronto-based mover, collaborator, performer, and instructor. She has performed works by Alysa Pires, Hanna Kiel, Malgorzata Nowacka, Metamorphosis Dance, Meghann Michalsky, Naishi Wang, Robert Glumbek, Susana Pous, and Sylvie Moquin. Across Canada, she has worked with Human Body Expression, Nostos Collectives, ProArteDanza, and Project InTandem. Since graduating from The Conteur Academy, she has meticulously pursued her dance training in Toronto, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. As a physical vessel in her own movement practice and for the visions of her collaborators, she recognizes her privilege to move, and she is a vigorous, expansive, precise, supple, and curious mover.
Dancer
Carleen graduated with a BFA from TMU in 2020. She has since danced for companies such as ProArteDanza, Côté Dansé, Zata Omm Dance Projects, and Red Sky Performance. Most recently, she appeared as Ophelia in a Hamlet collaboration between Guillaume Côté and Robert Lepage, set to reach Toronto in 2024. She has performed at Fall for Dance North twice, in works by Jera Wolfe and Anne Plamondon. Her repertoire also includes works by Lesley Telford, Roberto Campanella, Chantelle Good, Robert Glumbek, Tori Mehaffey, William Yong, Guillaume Côté, among others. On film, shemost notably performed at the MTV Video Music Awards, in the feature film Sweat, and creative film Eden Planted. Carleen choreographed for Night Shift in 2022, presented by Citadel +Compagnie in collaboration with FFDN, and recently set work on the students at TMU with her choreographic partner Vania Dodoo-Beals.
Dancer
Taylor Bojanowski is a Toronto based dance artist and graduate of Ryerson University’s Performance Dance BFA Program, studying under the direction of Vicki St. Denys. While at Ryerson, Taylor was the 2017 recipient of the “Theatre Dance Program” award. Throughout her professional training she’s had the pleasure of working and performing with many prominent choreographers including Janes Kudelka, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbeck, Tori Mehaffey, Kaeja d’Dance and Kevin O’Day. Taylor had the privilege of being the understudy for the ProArteDanza 2016/17 season and worked alongside the company. She was the recipient of the 2017 Apprentice Contract. Taylor is also a freelance contemporary teacher and choreographer.
Dancer
Christopher Valentini is a recent graduate of the BFA Performance dance program at Ryerson University. During his time studying he has had the opportunity to work with many choreographers including Robert Glumbeck, Hanna Kiel, William Yong, Vicky St.Denys, David Earle, and Gadfly. Over the summer he got to work on a submission in the Luminato Festival with D.A. Hoskins’, The Coating Project. This will be his second season performing with ProArteDanza.
Dancer
Daniel McArthur is a Toronto based DORA nominated performer. He has performed in over 100 new works touring Canada, the United States, and the Middle East. He was born right here in Toronto and has been gifted to work with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company II, ProArteDanza, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, James Kudelka, and Citadel + Compagnie along with other truly fabulous people. Also, crazy as it may sound, you can hear Daniel’s voice acting on the upcoming AAA title “Agony” as well as on the video game Marvel Avengers Academy. Daniel is the co-author of the upcoming children’s book “Sheldon the Selfish Shellfish”.
